Utility console for controlling energy resources

ABSTRACT

A system and method for managing power consumption and storage in a power grid. Measurements are received from a plurality of geographically distributed energy management controllers. Each energy management controllers has energy storage units with stored energy. The measurements comprise the energy production and storage capacity of the energy management controllers and their associated energy storage units. The measurements are processed, e.g., aggregated, and displayed on a graphical user interface. Commands are transmitted to a first subset of the energy management controllers to command the units to discharge their stored energy into a power grid through an inverter. Commands are transmitted to a second subset of the plurality of energy management controllers to store energy in each unit&#39;s energy storage unit.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/968,941, filed on Jan. 3, 2008, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,855,829,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/878,072,entitled Utility Console For Controlling Aggregated Energy Resources,filed Jan. 3, 2007, each of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

This application includes material which is subject to copyrightprotection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as if appears in thePatent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to energy management, and moreparticularly to a system and method for controlling energy resources,such as distributed energy storage units optionally coupled to renewableenergy sources such as solar panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There has been an increasing emphasis in recent years on energyconservation. Electric utilities have also come under increasingpressure to reduce the need to fire up polluting power plants to servepeak demands, such as during hot summer days. Electric utilities alsohave an incentive to “smooth out” energy demand to minimize the need toinstall new power lines across limited real estate.

Two ways in which utilities can perform these tasks are referred to as“demand side management” and “supply side management.” Demand sidemanagement refers to the selective reduction of energy demand inresponse to peak loading conditions. For example, utilities have foryears installed devices in the homes of participating consumers that,under utility control, selectively disable energy-consuming devices(e.g., hot water heaters or air conditioning units) in response to peakloading conditions. As another example, utilities are able in certaincases to remotely activate energy supplies to increase the supply ofelectricity to parts of the electricity grid.

It would be advantageous to provide more sophisticated controlmechanisms to permit electric utilities and others to effectivelymonitor and control distributed energy resources, such as storage unitscapable of storing electricity and reselling it to the grid on command.It would also be advantageous to provide more sophisticated demand sidemanagement tasks using aggregated resources.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a system and methodwherein measurements are received from a plurality of geographicallydistributed energy management controllers. Each energy managementcontroller has energy storage units with stored energy. The measurementscomprise the energy production and storage capacity of the energymanagement controllers and their associated energy storage units. Themeasurements are processed and displayed. Such processing may include,e.g., aggregation. Commands are transmitted to a first subset of theenergy management controllers to command the units to discharge theirstored energy into a power grid through an inverter. Commands aretransmitted to a second subset of the plurality of energy managementcontrollers to store energy in each unit's energy storage unit.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a system and method.Measurements are received from a plurality of geographically distributedenergy management controllers. At least one of the energy managementcontrollers is coupled to at least one load management device capable ofcurtailing load to at least one power consuming device. The measurementscomprise actual electrical load reflecting consumption attributable toat least one power consuming device. The measurements are processed by,e.g., aggregating the measurements. Commands are transmitted to theenergy management controller to cause the controller use the loadmanagement controller to curtail the load of the at least one powerconsuming device.

In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a system and method.Measurements are received from an energy management controller at aconsumer location. The measurements comprise actual electrical loadreflecting consumption attributable to the at least one power consumingdevice. Additional information is received from a consumer at theconsumer location reflecting changes in energy uses. Measurements arefed as inputs into rules, and based upon the results of processing thoserules, energy consumption/production needs are recalculated and actionsare suggested or automatically taken to reduce/increase load,increase/decrease energy storage, or activate/deactivate powergeneration at the consumer site.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of atleast one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a physical system and network whichis capable of supporting at least one embodiment of the disclosed systemand method.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a power control system whichmay be implemented at a consumer site such as a residential house or abusiness in a location geographically dispersed from a utilitygeneration plant.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of how a home-based power controlappliance can be connected to utility operations center.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a utility control center server whichimplements a utility control console.

FIG. 5 (including FIG. 5 MAP and FIGS. 5A-5C) illustrates one embodimentof a demand response dashboard, which enables a utility to control andaccess power that is stored, generated, and managed through appliances.

FIG. 6 (including FIG. 6 MAP and FIGS. 6A-6C) illustrates one embodimentof a confirmation page displayed when an event is created.

FIG. 7 (including FIG. 7 MAP and FIGS. 7A-7B) shows one embodiment for aweb-based user interface that permits individual customers to monitorelectrical consumption, sayings, and associated environmental impact.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is described below with reference to blockdiagrams and operational illustrations of methods and devices to managepower generation, consumption, and storage. It is understood that eachblock of the block diagrams or operational illustrations, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams or operationalillustrations, can be implemented by means of analog or digital hardwareand computer program instructions.

These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of ageneral purpose computer, special purpose computer, ASIC, or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus, such that the instructions,which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmabledata processing apparatus, implements the functions/acts specified inthe block diagrams or operational block or blocks.

In some alternate implementations, the functions/acts noted in theblocks can occur out of the order noted in the operationalillustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession can in factbe executed substantially concurrently or the blocks can sometimes beexecuted in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/actsinvolved.

For the purposes of this disclosure the term “server” should beunderstood to refer to hardware and/or software which providesprocessing, database, and communication facilities. By way of example,and not limitation, the term “server” can refer to a single, physicalprocessor with associated communications and data storage and databasefacilities, or it can refer to a networked or clustered complex ofprocessors and associated network and storage devices, as well asoperating software and one or more database systems and applicationssoftware which support the services provided by the server.

For the purposes of this disclosure the term “utility” should beunderstood to refer to an entity that, provides or manages the supply ofelectrical power to one or more energy consumers. The term as used inthis disclosure encompasses, without limitation, regional utilitycompanies, regional transmission organizations, and any other loadservicing entities or entities which manage the power grid within ageographical area. Energy consumers may be any entity that useelectrical power for any purpose such as, without limitation, individualhome owners, commercial office buildings, or manufacturing operations.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “energy managementcontroller” should be understood to refer to any device which measuresand controls the operation of power generating, power consuming, orpower storage devices, or which measures and controls power supplied toone or more electrical circuits. Power generating devices may include,without limitation, renewable energy sources such as solar panels, ormay include conventional generators powered by fossil fuels. Powerconsuming devices may include, without limitation, household appliancessuch as refrigerators and stoves, climate control systems such asheating and air conditioning, and commercial or manufacturing devices,such as an automated assembly line. Power storage devices may include,without limitation, battery systems and capacitors.

Energy management controllers may be capable of being connected to oneor more networks, such as the Internet, a private WAN, or a cellularcommunication network. Such network connected controllers may be capableof transmitting measurements made by the controllers to remotelocations. Network connected controllers may be further capable ofreceiving commands from remote locations which control or modify theoperation of the controllers

For the purposes of this disclosure the term “power control appliance”should be understood to refer to an energy management controller whichis capable of managing substantially all electrical power generation,consumption, and storage by power generating, power consuming, and powerstorage devices within an area of control. The power control appliancemay a be a processor with associated communications, data storage anddatabase facilities, one or more display device which may support agraphical user interface, as well as operating software and one or moredatabase systems and applications software which support the servicesprovided by the appliance. An area of a control of a power appliance maybe, without limitation a single home or factory, a group of homes orfactories, or a commercial building.

For the purposes of this disclosure the term “utility console” and“utility control console” should be understood to refer to one or moreservers and associated applications software which implements agraphical user interface that allows a utility to manage powerconsumption, generation, and storage within one or more areas ofcontrol. The utility console may provide for software and hardwareinterfaces that allow the utility console to communicate with andcontrol one or more energy management controllers within the utility'sareas of control.

For the purposes of this disclosure a computer readable medium storescomputer data in machine readable form. By way of example, and notlimitation, a computer readable medium can comprise computer storagemedia and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatileand non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in anymethod or technology for storage of information such ascomputer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM,ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology,CD-ROM, DVD, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetictape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or anyother medium which can be used to store the desired information andwhich can be accessed by the computer.

For the purposes of this disclosure a module is a software, hardware, orfirmware (or combinations thereof) system, process or functionality, orcomponent thereof, that performs or facilitates the processes, features,and/or functions described herein (with or without human interaction oraugmentation). A module can include sub-modules.

Reference will now be made in detail to illustrative embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

In one embodiment, the disclosed system and method is directed to autility console that enables a utility to monitor and aggregatepotential electrical energy stored in a plurality of geographicallydispersed devices, such as batteries and capacitors. Commands from theutility console may be transmitted to the plurality of geographicallydispersed energy management controllers, causing them to transmit powerthrough inverters to a power grid, creating a “virtual power plant.” Theutility console may also monitor actual demand through circuits atgeographically dispersed locations, aggregate the demand, and issuecommands to curtail loads to reduce the aggregated demand.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a physical system and network whichis capable of supporting at least one embodiment of the disclosed systemand method. A utility has an operations control center 100. Within thecontrol center 100, one or more servers 110 host applications softwarewhich implement various applications including a utility console. Suchapplications software may additionally implement other applicationssystems, such as billing and CRM systems, and other operational supportsystems. The servers 110 have at least one display device 120 that iscapable of supporting a graphical user interface. The servers 110 areadditionally connected to one or more storage devices 170 which mayprovide for storage of one or more actively used databases or which mayprovide backup or archiving of data collected by the servers.

The servers are connected to the local network 130 of the operationscontrol center. The local network 130 is connected to the Internet 400though conventional routers and/or firewalls 150. The local network 130may also be connected to a common carrier wireless network 500 such as aCDMA network. The local network 130 is also connected to a wide areanetwork 200 which is connected to one or more power generation points300.

The power generation point 300 is connected to the operations controlcenter 100 through the wide area network and is connected to consumers600 though power transmission lines 310. The power transmission lines310 additionally support transmission of data between the powergeneration point 300 and power consumers 600. Thus, the servers 110 mayreceive data from or transmit data or commands to distributed energymanagement controllers 610 using the Internet 400, the wireless network500, or the WAN 200.

Power consumers 600 under the management of the utility control center100 have one or more power control appliances 610. Power is transmittedto the consumer 600 over transmission lines 310 which form part of thelocal power grid. Power the consumer draws from the grid may besupplied, in part, by one or more power generation points 300, or mayoriginate in remote locations (not shown). Power enters the consumerpremises at a meter 620 and is routed to the power control appliance610, which, may comprise an onboard computer, energy storage, and aninverter/charger.

The power control appliance 610 may be configured to control one or moreelectrical circuits which supply power to one or more power consumingdevices 640, such as household appliances. In one embodiment, the systemuses a number of load controllers with integrated measurement and/or acommunicating thermostat (not shown). Load controllers with integratedmeasurement can be installed by placing them inline with the circuit tobe measured and controlled, and are usually installed near the main loadpanel (though there is no requirement to do so). Any number of loadcontrollers with integrated measurement may be installed at a site. Thecommunicating thermostat can be a replacement for an existing thermostatand can work with nearly any HVAC system. HVAC curtailment can beachieved either by interrupting power to the compressor or bycommunicating with the thermostat to adjust the temperature setpoint orto turn the HVAC system off. The power control appliance mayadditionally have control connections (not shown) to the power consumingdevices 640 which allow the power control appliance 610 to control theoperation of the devices.

The power control appliance 610 may be further connected to one or morepower generation devices 630, such as solar panels, which are capable ofgenerating power. Power generated by the power generation devices 630may is routed to the power control appliance 610 for use by theconsumer. Under the control of the power control appliance 610 powergenerated by the power generation devices 630 may also be routed,in-whole, or in-part, to the power grid 310.

The power control appliance 610 may be controlled, at least in part bythe consumer, using a graphical user interface displayed on a displaydevice 612. The power control appliance 610 may be further controlledremotely by the utility control center 100. In one embodiment, theservers 110 at the utility control center 100 may receive and transmitdata and commands to the power appliance using the Internet 400, thewireless network 500, or the WAN 200 (via power lines 310 from the powergeneration point.)

Examples of power control appliances which may be used in embodiments ofthe present system are described in detail in U.S. Patent Application2006/0158037, entitled “Fully Integrated Power Storage and SupplyAppliance with Power uploading Capability,” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,274,975,entitled “Optimized Energy Management System,”, both of which areincorporated by reference herein.

It is understood that the system and network illustrated in FIG. 1 isnot limited to the control of power consumption, generation, and storageexclusively at consumer sites 600. The system may manage any resourceunder the control of an energy management controller connected to theutility control center through a network connection. For example, theremay be grid-connected energy storage units, such as capacitor banks,which are owned and operated by the utility expressly for gridmanagement purposes. The system may measure and control such resources,for example, using facilities provided by a utility console provided bysoftware implemented on the servers 110.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of a power control system whichmay be implemented at a consumer site 600 such as a residential house ora business in a location geographically dispersed from a utilitygeneration plant. An energy management controller unit 610 implementssupply and demand side management functions. The unit 610 is optionallycoupled to one or more renewable energy sources 630 such as solarpanels, and which may include one or more batteries (not shown) to storeelectricity. One or more load measurement and control circuits 640 areelectrically coupled to managed circuits which may include, for examplean HVAC system, a hot water heater, pool pump, and other circuits.

The load measurement and control circuits 640 can measure energy usageand report it to the energy management controller unit 610, which may inturn report it to an operations center 100, which in turn reports it toa utility control console located at the utility's facility. In oneembodiment, electric utility is enabled to have a real-time snapshot ofactual storage capacity at the distributed energy management controlunits and the current loads operating across all the premises in whichsuch geographically dispersed energy management control units arelocated.

In one embodiment, the electric utility can issue commands to the energymanagement control units 610 through a smart meter (which receivescommands through the transmission lines), the Internet, or othercommunication mechanism as described above. The utility may additionallygather data on energy usage and conservation from energy managementcontrol units and implement a monitoring and conservation websitehosted, for example, on control center servers, to allow consumers tomonitor their energy usage and conservation patterns.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of how a home-based power controlappliance can be connected to utility operations center, which enablesthe utility to control the unit through utility-specific softwareapplications such as a utility console, and may additionally allow acustomer to monitor the unit through a password-protected websiteimplemented, for example, on a utility control server.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a utility control center server 110which implements a utility control console. In one embodiment, theutility control console is comprised of five modules. A data receivingmodule 112 periodically receives measurements from geographicallydistributed energy management controllers 610, each of which may haveenergy storage capacity, such as a battery or a capacitor. A dataprocessing module 114 processes measurements received by the datareceiving module 112, the measurements comprising actual energyproduction capacity by devices controlled by the energy managementcontrollers 610. The processing of those measurements may includeapplying system- and user-defined rules. Such processing may alsoinclude, for example, aggregating the measurements, applying algorithmsto individual measurements and aggregating the results, andincorporating other data such as current and predicted weather data.Processed data may be stored on an external storage device 170 connectedto the server 110.

A user interface module 115 displays data processed by the dataprocessing module 114 on a display device 120 connected to the server110 and allows end users to control functions provided by the utilitycontrol console modules using a graphical user interface supported bythe display device. A discharge control module 116 transmits commands toenergy management controllers 610 which, when appropriate, instructcontrollers to discharge stored energy, for example, into a power gridthrough an inverter. A charge control module 117 transmits commands toenergy management controllers 610 which, when appropriate, instruct thecontrollers to charge energy storage devices controlled by thecontrollers. A curtailment control module 118 transmits commands toenergy management controllers 610 which, when appropriate, instruct tocurtail the load of devices or circuits controlled by the controllers.An application programming interface 119 (API) enables the utility touse their own forecasting algorithms instead of the system's. Ageneration control module 113 transmits commands to energy managementcontrollers 610, which, when appropriate, instruct the controllers toactivate and deactivate generation sources controlled by the controller.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a demand response dashboard 1000,which enables a utility to control and access power that is stored,generated, and managed through appliances. The interface has a selectionbar 1010 which allows a user to select specific regions under autility's control, for example, a substation, to manage and control. Theselection bar 1010 displays the total number of units within the region.The interface has a summary bar 1020 which summarizes total capacitywithin the region which includes stored capacity and curtailable loads.

Detailed charts are displayed for stored energy 1030, and dispatchablepower 1040. Detailed charts are also displayed for power consumed bycurtailable toads, in the case of the illustrated embodiment, waterheaters 1050, pool pumps 1060, and HVACs 1070. The charts graphicallydisplays, in real-time, immediate demand reduction potential availableacross a population of devices that are dispersed throughout the regionthat may be controlled from the console or a related computer. Demandreduction potential can be displayed based on category of demandreduction, such that the amount of potential demand reduction availablefrom a certain category of devices (e.g., hot water heaters) isdisplayed and controllable separately from a different category ofdevices (e.g., pool pumps or air conditioners). The utility console mayadditionally provide the ability to monitor and manage performanceacross a service territory, the individual performance of a single unit,or the collective performance of a subset of units in the serviceterritory (e.g. all units served by a given substation).

The area to the right of vertical line 1035 in detailed charts 1030 10401050 1060 1070 1080 represents load forecasts which are calculated bythe system. Such forecasts are made using algorithms which mayincorporate historical data, such as measured energy usage for specificclasses of loads, and exogenous data such as predicted weather data.

In one embodiment, the electrical capacity displayed by the interfacereflects actual storage in batteries in devices located in homes and/orbusinesses and coupled to the electrical grid. Such capacity may takeinto account the depth of discharge of individual batteries, such thatbatteries are not discharged beyond a certain limit, e.g., 80%. Theimmediate capacity may alternatively reflect the aggregated actualoutput supply of distributed energy resources, such as solar panels thatare associated with and coupled to the devices.

Charts may be customized using chart tools 1090. The user may select thedashboard using a button 1100, or may switch to an event page or areport page using buttons 1200 and 1300 respectively. Utilities are thusenabled to isolate data and control appliances by region or definedgroups. Filtering enables utilities to provide a direct impact to wherepower quality issues reside. Reports provided by the utility consoleapplication may include reports based on data captured by the appliancesin the field. Reports may be filtered by groups or other criteria deemedrequired. One embodiment of these reports may compare the actualperformance of an event versus the user's expectations.

In one embodiment, devices within the region, such as dispatchable powersources and curtailable loads, are managed by creating events. Eventsmay include demand response (DR) events, charge battery events, andcharge energy storage events. The interface in FIG. 5. provides an eventcreation bar 1400. The type of event may be selected, as well as a startand end date, a start time and end time, and a duration tor the event.After the details of the event are selected, the create event button isselected. When the event is successfully created, a confirmation page,such as that shown in FIG. 6 may be displayed which may graphicallydisplay the expected load reduction.

Events may be generated, for example, to cause portions of theaggregated electrical storage and/or energy resources to be coupled tothe electrical grid (e.g., through inverters), thus increasing supply tothe grid. The console may be used, for example, to dispatch storedenergy from batteries or distributed generation sources (wind, solar,generators, fuel cells, etc.), or a combination of both. When events aredispatched, commands may be transmitted to devices at the customer'spremises to turn them on, off, or increase/decrease the settings (e.g.,adjusting the temperature setting of a thermostat). Commands can betransmitted by structured messages (e.g., Internet messages) sent via areliable delivery protocol such as IP or TCP so that communications arenot materially disrupted due to ambient noise on communication channels(e.g., power lines).

Demand response events may take one of three forms: curtailment,dispatch (discharging synchronous reserves), or a combination of bothcurtailment and dispatch. Utilities may schedule battery charge eventsto maintain synchronous reserves levels and ensure charging occursduring the most optimal time periods. Utilities may schedule energystorage charge events to maintain synchronous reserves levels and ensurecharging occurs during the most optimal time periods. The event creationbar further provides an estimate button which may estimate the effect ofan event before it is dispatched.

Events may be scheduled in advance. For example, a control centeroperator may decide that a demand response event is needed for thefollowing and win schedule such an event. The system can thenautomatically notify customers using their preferred notificationmechanism (email, text message, etc.), and then send an executionschedule to all the customer sites. Each site replies with anacknowledgement of receipt of the schedule, and the console can report ahigh degree of confidence how much load can be expected to be shed (andenergy dispatched) based upon the acknowledgement from each site as wellas an aggregated estimate of the size of the expected reduction basedupon historical measurements. At the scheduled time, energy managementcontrollers at the sites will execute the curtailment and dispatchcommands, record the performance and then report back to the utilityconsole. In certain embodiments, energy dispatches can be scheduled tooccur at a future time when demand is anticipated to be higher. Duringoff-peak periods, batteries or other energy storage units can berecharged from the grid, solar panels, or other sources.

Events may also be generated on-demand for immediate execution as theneed arises. The speed at which these events can be executed is afunction of the latency of the communications network. With broadbandEthernet or a typical two-way communications via meters, for example,the event can be executed less than five minutes from the control centeroperator issuing the command.

In some embodiments, a system incorporating the invention may utilizethe real-time measurements of the loads in iterative predictions of anevent's performance while the event is underway. In the event a revisedprediction indicates that the goal of that event is not expected to beachieved or achieved more effectively, the system may suggestalternatives to reaching that goal or may react automatically (basedupon previously defined constraints or rules) to attempt to reach thegoal.

The system may further provide a DR event suggestion function. The enduser at a utility could be enabled to enter a query such as, “Show me 10MW on this Day at this Start Time” and query event options presented tothem for selection. The control center console may generate suggestionswhich are based in part upon previously defined rules and constraintsand may include both the cost and the benefit of the various scenarios,presenting the optimal scenarios to the user. Cost may be in terms ofdollars, reliability, greenhouse gasses, or any other metric the utilitymay deem a cost.

In one embodiment, the capacity of electrical storage displayed by theutility console may be “immediate” in that it reflects the actualmeasured output of a currently-producing asset, such as a solar panel,which can be diverted to the grid (e.g., a solar panel that is presentlycharging batteries in a home can be diverted to produce electricity forthe grid.) It can also be “immediate” in the sense that a particularhomeowner or business owner can, by altering mode settings on theirpower control appliance, alter the availability of production.

For example, a homeowner who wants to ensure that his or her batteriesare fully charged before offering any excess capacity to the grid canselect a mode that prevents diversion until such charging has beencompleted. The utility console may reflect this fact by not showingcapacity for such units until a future time—for example, an estimatedtime after which the batteries would be fully charged. If the consumerchanges a mode setting, that potential capacity can be promptlyreflected on the console. A homeowner may also prevent the system fromreducing the thermostat beyond a certain point if a certain mode hasbeen selected.

In one embodiment, a utility can offer cost savings to individualcustomers based on mode selection settings made by the customer. Forexample, a customer that has selected the most aggressive form of demandmanagement (e.g., temporarily shutting down the maximum number ofdevices) could be offered a discount or cost reduction on utility billsto compensate for the potential inconvenience of disabling certaindevices. Similar discounts or rebates can be offered in exchange fordiverting stored energy (e.g., from batteries) or passive (e.g., solarcells) or active (e.g., generators) associated with an individual deviceback to the grid.

Events may also be generated, for example, to satisfy electrical demandswhile minimizing the greenhouse gasses produced by the devices thatsatisfy that demand. A utility may place a higher priority on limitinggreenhouse gas emissions than on cost, and subsequently will create andmanage DR events in order to minimize their greenhouse gas production.For example, the utility may create rules for the invention whichinstruct it to display event recommendations based primarily on theamount of greenhouse gas the event would produce.

After a DR event has been completed, the measured performance can bereported to the utility or other user. The report can present the datain groups, such as the aggregate performance of all units by thesubstation serving them. In certain variations, the utility console canconstantly measure and record a load profile for each circuit, providingan accurate baseline that is specific to a particular customer. Thisenables a utility to offer a DR program that is equitable to allparticipants, compensating them for the load they actually reduced asopposed to using a statistical sampling.

In one embodiment, the utility console may display the cost of variousdemand-side management scenarios with costs in terms of money,environmental impact, greenhouse gasses, etc. to the utility, such thatthe utility can see how much it would cost to activate various demandreduction scenarios. For example, by shutting off all pool pumps thatare currently activated, a certain amount of demand reduction would beachieved, and the utility could be charged a fee of a certain amount. Byshutting off all water heaters that are currently activated, the utilitycould achieve a different level of demand reduction and might be chargeda potentially different fee. These costs can be traded off against thecosts of firing up additional power plants or other parameters.

In one embodiment, the system may further implement multiple sets ofrules and constraints which govern how the various resources (e.g.energy storage, load control, distributed renewable energy resources,etc.) may be used. For example, there may be a constraint that energystorage units must reserve 50% of their total capacity for usage by theutility's customer as backup power. Such constraints and rules may applyto a single unit, a collection of units, or the entire population ofunits. In another example, the control center operator may specify therate of discharge of energy storage units. Units discharging at 50% ofcapacity can dispatch for twice as long as units dispatching at 100%.The control center operator can choose the dispatch profile the bestsuits the need at hand.

In another embodiment, the system may further implement multiple sets ofrules and constraints which govern how the combination of variousresources, e.g. energy storage plus load control, may be used. Forexample, if a utility desires to reduce its current load by 50megawatts, the system may process rules which indicate an optimalsolution can be achieved via 30 megawatts of power through dispatchingenergy storage and 20 megawatts through load curtailment.

In an even more complex example, a rule set may dictate that if theprice of power is less than $200 per megawatt-day, batteries maydischarge up to 50% of their capacity in a single cycle; if the price ofpower is greater than $200 per megawatt day but less than $400 permegawatt day, batteries may discharge up to 65% of their availablecapacity in a single cycle; and if the price of power is greater than$400 per megawatt-day, batteries may discharge up to 80% of theircapacity in a single cycle. The system may then calculate and displaythe amount of available energy storage capacity based upon the currentor expected price of power.

By implementing peak load reduction and energy shaping, the system mayreduce incremental transmission and distribution investments. Forexample, the system may help relieve focalized transmission anddistribution issues by identifying an overstressed substation or feederline. Deploying units to 5% of the affected areas may substantiallyincrease reliability of the network. By controlling which loadsreconnect to the grid, the utility can stagger the reconnecting loadsafter brief and extended outages to assist with outage recoverymanagement. In addition, units with energy storage capacity can beinstructed to discharge immediately after reconnecting to the grid tolessen the impact of loads reconnecting.

The data collected by the utility console may be used to provideconsumers with on demand information regarding the consumer's energyuses. FIG. 7 shows one embodiment for a web-based user interface thatpermits individual customers to monitor electrical consumption, savings,and associated environmental impact. Access to the website can belimited to customers having power control appliances. Statistics can becompiled and presented using a web-accessible format as illustrated inFIG. 7.

Combining power control appliances with a utility control consoleenables the provision of value-added services in addition demand sidemanagement. Such services may include backup power (for example, usingthe stored energy, utilities can sell consumers clean, maintenance freebackup power service); energy management (utilities can offer customersenergy conservation services to reduce electricity cost while fulfillingthe utility's energy shaping requirements); benefits within time-of-usepricing schedules. In certain embodiments, consumers can expect 10-15%energy cost savings by controlling major consumption items: HVAC, waterheaters, pool pumps, etc. Additionally, the utility can provide itscustomers with detailed consumption information, and translateconservation activities into tangible environmental benefits.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that various changes and modifications can be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A method of controlling energy consumption of a plurality of energyconsuming devices at a premises, each of the plurality of energyconsuming devices being controlled by a corresponding load controllerhaving integrated measurement capability, each load controller beingcommunicatively coupled to one of a plurality of distributed energymanagement controllers, the plurality of distributed energy managementcontrollers being communicatively coupled to a computer system of anoperations control center, comprising: measuring the individual energyload of each of the plurality of energy consuming devices, themeasurement being performed by corresponding load controller;communicating the individual energy load measurements from each loadcontroller to a corresponding one of the plurality of distributed energymanagement controllers; communicating the individual energy loadmeasurements of each of the plurality of energy consuming devices fromthe plurality of distributed energy management controllers to theoperations control center; processing, by the computer system, theindividual energy load measurements received from the plurality ofdistributed energy management controllers; and transmitting a commandfrom the operations control center to at least one of the plurality ofdistributed energy management controllers based on said processed energyload measurements to curtail/engage one or more of the plurality ofenergy consuming devices.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least oneof the plurality of distributed energy management controllers iscontrolled by a consumer using a graphical user interface and is alsobeing remotely by a utility.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein theindividual energy load measurement is a demand measurement.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the individual energy load measurement is anenergy use measurement.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the individualenergy load measurement is an energy consumption measurement.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting energy usage dataand conservation data from at least one of the plurality of energymanagement controllers associated with a consumer to the operationcenter; and displaying the energy usage data and conservation data tothe consumer via a website.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: controlling the plurality of energy management controllersby the operations center; and monitoring the at least one of theplurality of energy management controllers by a consumer via a websiteprovided by the operation center.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein theprocessing further comprises: aggregating data from individual energyload measurements of a plurality of the energy consuming devices.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises: applyingalgorithms to individual energy load measurements; and aggregating theresults of the algorithms.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein theprocessing further comprises: applying algorithms to the individualenergy load measurements; and associating current and predicted weatherdata with the individual energy load measurements.
 11. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the processing further comprises: applying algorithmsto individual energy load measurements; and applying user-defined rulesto the individual energy load measurements.
 12. The method of claim 1,further comprising: sending a notification of a demand response requestfrom the operations center to customers associated with each energymanagement controller, the notification including a schedule of anassociated demand response event; receiving acknowledgement of thedemand response request from one or more customers associated with eachone of the plurality of energy management controllers; generating areport that indicates how much load can be expected to be shed from eachpremises associated with a corresponding energy management controllerbased upon the acknowledgement from each customer; and generating anaggregated estimate of the size of the expected load reduction from aplurality of premises having an associated energy management controllerbased at least in part on historical load measurements.
 13. The methodof claim 12, wherein each of the energy management controller executesthe curtailment commands associated with the demand response request,records the performance of the demand response event triggered by thedemand response request, and reports the performance of the demandresponse event back to the operations center.
 14. The method of claim 1,further comprising: performing calculations on the real-timemeasurements of the individual energy loads in iterative predictions ofthe performance of the demand response event while a demand responseevent triggered by the command is underway; and determining, based onrevised predictions, if the demand response event is not expected to beachieved, or may be achieved more effectively, and if so, automaticallyalter the command based upon defined constraints and rules.
 15. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: aggregating categories ofreal-time energy load data associated with one or more of the pluralityof energy management controllers; displaying, on a utility console, theaggregated categories of individual real-time energy load data over afirst predetermined time period; calculating load forecasts forcategories of the energy consuming devices using historical measuredenergy usage, the forecasts representing demand reduction potentialavailable from selected categories of curtailable loads; and displayingthe load forecasts on a time scale representing future potential demandreduction potential.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the loadforecast calculation uses exogenous data.
 17. The method of claim 16,wherein the exogenous data is predicted weather data.
 18. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the command is a demand response command that instructsthe one or more of the plurality of energy management controllers tocurtail energy use of one or more categories of power consuming devices,further comprising: controlling the one or more of the plurality of loadcontrollers to reduce energy consumption of one or more categories ofenergy consuming devices; receiving a load profile of an individualcircuit of a customer; comparing the load profile of the individualcircuit to the actual load during the demand response event; andcompensating the consumer for the actual customer's individual load thatwas reduced.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of theplurality of load controllers is a thermostat.
 20. (canceled)
 21. Amethod of controlling energy consumption of a plurality of energyconsuming devices at a premises, each of the plurality of energyconsuming devices being controlled by a corresponding load controller,each load controller being communicatively coupled to one of a pluralityof distributed energy management controllers, the plurality ofdistributed energy management controllers being communicatively coupledto a computer system of an operations control center, comprising:measuring the individual energy load of each one of the plurality ofenergy consuming devices; communicating the individual energy loadmeasurements to corresponding ones of the plurality of distributedenergy management controllers; communicating the individual energy loadmeasurements of each of the plurality of energy consuming devices fromthe plurality of distributed energy management controllers to theoperations control center; processing, by the computer system, theindividual energy load measurements received from the plurality ofdistributed energy management controllers; transmitting a command fromthe operations control center to at least one of the plurality ofdistributed energy management controllers based on said processedindividual energy load measurements to curtail/engage one or more of theplurality of energy consuming devices; performing calculations on thereal-time measurements of the individual energy load measurements initerative predictions of the performance of a demand response event,triggered by the command, from the operations center while the demandresponse event is underway; and determining, based on the iterativepredictions, if the demand response event is not expected to besuccessfully achieved or may be achieved more effectively, and if so,automatically altering the command based upon defined constraints andrules.